The present invention relates to a connector, in particular, to reinforcement of contacts having elasticity.
Conventionally, a connector that establishes electrical connection through engagement between a plug and a receptacle has been widely used in various electronic devices. The plug and the receptacle have contacts, and the contacts of the plug come into contact with the contacts of the receptacle. Typically, the contacts of at least one of the plug and the receptacle elastically deform and come into contact with the contacts of the other when the plug and the receptacle are fitted, whereby the contact force is generated between the contacts of the plug and the contacts of the receptacle to ensure electrical connection therebetween.
Recently, as electronic devices decrease in size while increasing in density, a smaller multipolar connector in which a plurality of contacts are mounted at a narrower pitch is required, and accordingly use of the smaller contact is desired.
However, as the contact decreases in size, elasticity of the contact also decreases, and thus the contact force between the contacts of the plug and the contacts of the receptacle decreases when the plug and the receptacle are fitted, or the respective contacts are likely to plastically deform. As a result, it becomes difficult to realize a reliable conduction state.
Accordingly, JP 2013-55007 A, for example, discloses a connector in which a plurality of receptacle contacts 2 arranged in two arrays are held by a receptacle housing 1, and an elasticity-reinforcing member 4 is provided between receptacle contact contacting portions 3 of a pair of receptacle contacts 2 facing each other, as illustrated in FIG. 15. The elasticity-reinforcing member 4 reinforces the contact forces of the receptacle contact contacting portions 3 to corresponding plug contact contacting portions 6, thereby realizing a stable conduction state between the receptacle contact contacting portions 3 and the plug contact contacting portions 6.
In the connector disclosed in JP 2013-55007 A, the elasticity-reinforcing member 4 presses the receptacle contact contacting portion 3 to reinforce the contact force, but the elasticity-reinforcing member 4 merely presses one side of the receptacle contact contacting portion 3 that has a U-shape and is fixed to the receptacle housing 1, while the other side of the receptacle contact contacting portion 3 is held by the receptacle housing 1 to receive the pressing force from the elasticity-reinforcing member 4, so that the other side of the receptacle contact contacting portion 3 cannot shift.
Accordingly, when plug contacts 5 of a counter-connector have unevenness in arrangement, the corresponding receptacle contacts 2 cannot shift to follow the plug contacts 5 of the counter-connector, and the unevenness of arrangement of the plug contacts 5 cannot be absorbed.